Lobbying by business groups derailed Coimbatore metro project, say activists

Several activists have alleged that business groups, who own prime land along Avinashi Road, a crucial stretch of the proposed metro rail, mounted sustained pressure to stall the project.

Image used for representational purposes only.(Photo | Express Illustrations)

Updated on:

22 Nov 2025, 2:13 am

4 min read

COIMBATORE: A wave of disappointment has engulfed the public in Coimbatore city as their dream of an own metro rail system has been dashed.

The Union government's decision to return the Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted by Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has triggered widespread anger among industrialists, activists, and commuters.

The demands for a metro rail in Coimbatore city have been growing for more than 14 years but the latest decision has put paid to that long-cherished dream.

Allegations of lobbying by influential business groups have taken centre stage in the public outcry over the Union government’s decision to return the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Coimbatore metro. What many had hoped would finally push the 14-year demand across the finish line has instead deepened mistrust, with activists claiming that vested interests, not technical flaws, scuttled the project.

Several activists have alleged that business groups, who own prime land along Avinashi Road, a crucial stretch of the proposed metro rail, mounted sustained pressure to stall the project.

“This rejection is a huge disappointment. It is not just about politics. Local industrialists and businessmen have influenced this outcome. Some major property owners, including those running prominent colleges, hospitals and real-estate ventures, opposed the project because it threatens their valuable land. Their lobbying has played a major role,” said RTI activist V Balasubramanian.

He also countered the centre’s claim that Coimbatore does not meet the 20-lakh population requirement for a metro. “The city’s current population is far above 35 lakh. Everyone knows this. The metro would have been a lifeline for lakhs of commuters, but politics has taken precedence over public welfare,” he said.

Geographical Information System (GIS) expert Dayanand Krishnan termed the centre’s evaluation “illogical and unscientific”, especially its comparison of metro travel speeds with auto-rickshaws. “A metro train carries 750 passengers per trip and moves at 32-35 kmph. How many autos would it take to move the same number of people?” he asked.

He argued that the centre’s claim of the metro being “cost-intensive” was also unjustified, pointing out that the combined project cost for Coimbatore and Madurai are estimated at around Rs 20,000 crore. “The union government’s share is only 15%, barely Rs 3,000 crore. When lakhs of crores can be spent on a bullet train used by a few thousand, how can a metro serving lakhs every day be called too expensive?” he said. He added that if the centre had reservations, it should have flagged them rather than returning the DPR after a year.

Rejecting suggestions for a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), Dayanand said city’s narrow, congested roads made it impractical and suggested exploring underground lines if elevated corridors posed challenges.

J Sathish Kumar, director of Kongu Global Forum and a member of Coimbatore NXT, told TNIE the rejection has crushed public expectations. “For over 14 years, Coimbatore has waited for this project. With no census after 2011, population estimates are outdated. The city would have easily crossed the two-million mark by now. Many tier-2 cities with smaller populations have received metro approvals. Returning the DPR is simply unacceptable,” he said.

Meanwhile, Coimbatore South MLA and BJP leader Vanathi Srinivasan said the metro project would indeed take shape once the NDA comes to power in Tamil Nadu in 2026 Assembly election - a remark that has only intensified public resentment.

Timeline of the Coimbatore Metro Rail Project

YEAR-WISE SUMMARY

2010-11

Type of work: First inclusion/announcement of Metro Rail Project for 16 Tier-II cities, including Coimbatore, by the Union Government

Political party: State: DMK (Karunanidhi) | Centre: Congress (Manmohan Singh)

2011-12

Type of work: State government shifts priority to monorail instead of metro rail in Coimbatore

Political party: State: AIADMK (Jayalalithaa) | Centre: Congress

2013-14

Type of work: Preliminary survey recommending metro rail for Coimbatore over mono rail by E Sreedharan (Metro Rail expert)

Political party: State: AIADMK | Centre: Congress

2014-16

Type of work: Feasibility study revealed a monorail for Coimbatore was technically & financially not feasible

Political party: State: AIADMK | Centre: BJP (Narendra Modi)

2017-18

Type of work: Metro rail project for Coimbatore revived & feasibility studies initiated. CMRL was engaged. Initial discussions with KfW (Germany)

Political party: State: AIADMK (Edappadi K Palaniswami) |Centre: BJP

2018-19

Type of work: Feasibility study work, route analysis & consultant engagement by SYSTRA & CMRL

Political party: State: AIADMK | Centre: BJP

2020-21

Type of work: Routes & alignment meetings with state departments; Project shaping by CMRL along with Highways, CCMC & LPA

Political party: State: AIADMK | Centre: BJP

2021-22

Type of work: Budget allocation & topographical survey tender. RITES assigned for surveys & CMRL oversight

Political party: State: AIADMK (till May), then DMK (MK Stalin from May 2021) | Centre: BJP

2022-23

Type of work: TN govt formally prioritises metros in Tier-II cities (Coimbatore, Madurai). CMRL modified the corridor alignment, routes and finalised the revised DPR